Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born Jan. 16, 1979 in Brooklyn. When she was a child she moved to Detroit with her family, where she grew up. It wasn't long after moving to Detroit that Aaliyah got her big break when she signed with Jive Records at the age of 12. She also signed with Blackground Records, which is owned by her uncle, Barry Hankerson.

During her career, Aaliyah released three albums including Age Ain't Nothing But a Number, One in a Million, and Aaliyah. She also appeared on several TV shows and films, including New York Undercover and Romeo Must Die.

Aaliyah died on aug. 25, 2001 after he plane crashed after leaving The Bahamas. Aaliyah had been on the island filming a music video for "Rock the Boat." She was 22 at the time of her death.

Today, we celebrate Aaliyah's life, career, and birthday with four interesting facts about the singer.

Aaliyah fact No. 1Photo by Scott Gries/Getty Images

Aaliyah fact No. 1

R. Kelly became Aaliyah's mentor after her uncle, Barry Hankerson, introduced Aaliyah to the R&B star. R. Kelly produced and wrote much of her debut album "Age Ain't Nothing But a Number" which was released in 1994. She also worked with Missy Elliot and Timbaland

Aaliyah fact No. 2Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Aaliyah fact No. 2

The relationship between Aaliyah and R. Kelly lead to allegations of an illegal marriage. The allegations were published by Vibe Magazine, which claimed to have uncovered an illegal marriage license. Aaliyah was 15 at the time.

Aaliyah fact No. 3Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images.

Aaliyah fact No. 3

Aaliyah was dating Damon Dash at the time of her death. The couple had planned to marry, according to comments made by Dash shortly after her death. Dash is a businessman who has been associated with Jay-Z and Roc-A-Fella Records.

Aaliyah fact No. 4Photo by George De Sota/Getty Images

Aaliyah fact No. 4

There was controversy surrounding the plane crash that killed Aaliyah, as reports indicate that the pilot was not licensed at the time of the flight. He also allegedly had traces of cocaine and alcohol in his system. Aaliyah's parents filed a wrongful death suite which was eventually settled out of court. In total, nine people died in the crash.

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Kristyn Gansen simply can't get enough celebrity gossip. She's a journalism graduate of Michigan State University who has built a successful freelance career. When she isn't working on an article for a client, she can be found watching E! News or reading any number of celebrity gossip blogs.